If there was only one thing I would like to have on every car resulting from the advent of EVs, it's the 'one-pedal' system which uses the braking effect of the electric motor to regenerate energy and slow the car at the same time, writes Brian Byrne. With that technology, on pretty well most of any journey I rarely have to use the brakes, as I can usually calibrate my regeneration action to bring the car to a full halt at standard junctions or roundabouts. It gets so intuitive that when I switch back to an ordinary ICE car, it can take some time to get used to the fact that it's not there. Meaning some hurried pedal shifting for the first couple of brakes-needed occasions.
I was thinking about that when recently spending time with the current Nissan Micra. Which has the feature, though the company wasn't the first to introduce it. When the second generation Leaf came with the facility, cars like BMW's first i3 (not to be confused with the current EV version of the 3 Series) had already made it popular. That said, the Micra is in many respects a masterclass in making a small electric car. It looks good, with a perky but not OTT style. It's sized properly as a small B-segment hatchback with no pretensions to be an SUV. The interior styling and fittings are modern, with enough traditional shapes to keep older owners happy. Most of all, the pair of screens integrated in an angled housing are clear, with big colourful graphics for both information and the virtual buttons that manage a selection of functions. Key functions are operated by toggle switches under the central unit.
Once settled in the driver’s seat, it's a standout that a lot of thought was put into the ergonomics. My driving position was excellent. Nothing was out of my sightline when I needed to see it. The white symbols on the steering wheel controls stood out strongly. A quirk, though, is that the steering column-mounted transmission selector doesn't have a Park function, and it can be fiddly slipping it into N when stopped and then operating the electronic parking brake. The seats in my review car, which was the top Evolve grade, were especially supportive. The external details in that grade included two-tone paint and more distinctive alloys.
On size, the Micra is a tad longer and wider than its close cousin, the Renault 5 E-Tech, and will give away height and length to the coming Cupra Raval and VW ID Polo competitors when they get here. As with all these, the Micra is essentially a four-seater in comfort, though rear legroom behind a long driver might be challenging. Boot capacity at 326L is average for the segment.
This generation of the Micra only comes with electric drive. There are two battery options, 40kWh and 52kWh, only the bigger one in the Evolve grade, and it is rated at a maximum 416km range — real world is likely closer to 330km. The version with the smaller battery is really only designed for urban use, with a rated maximum 317km (c.260km). It comes as no surprise that the larger battery is the most popular buy.
The motor is powerful enough to provide an 8s acceleration to 100km/h if needed. Like all EVs, the powertrain is quiet, which may be partly why there was some road noise evident, depending on the surfaces.
Some cars take a little time to get used to, others less so. When I got into the Micra, I felt immediately at home. That reflects overall good design thinking.
PRICE: From €29,995; review car €32,995. WHAT I LIKED: A car well thought through.
